 "Life
(cf.
biota) is a characteristic that distinguishes
objects that have
signaling and self-sustaining processes (i.e.,
living organisms) from those that do not, either
because such functions have ceased (death),
or else because they lack such functions and are
classified as
inanimate.
Biology is the science concerned with the study
of life.
Living organisms undergo
metabolism, maintain
homeostasis, possess a capacity to
grow, respond to
stimuli,
reproduce and, through
natural selection, adapt to their environment in
successive generations. More complex living
organisms can communicate through various means. A
diverse array of living organisms (life forms) can
be found in the
biosphere on
Earth, and the properties common to these
organisms—plants,
animals,
fungi,
protists,
archaea, and
bacteria—are a
carbon- and
water-based
cellular form with complex
organization and heritable
genetic information.
In
philosophy and
religion, the
conception of life and its nature varies. Both
offer interpretations as to how life relates to
existence and
consciousness, and both touch on many related
issues, including
life stance, purpose,
conception of a god or gods, a
soul or an
afterlife." Source:
Wikipedia |
